Thursday, August 18, 2016

To start with a cliché, has it really been just one week?

Thanks to the amazing people I have met, there have been so many wonderful experiences and these unique insights into life in Japan are exactly why I wanted to spend so long volunteering in this fascinating country. The landmarks of Hanna Road are slowly becoming more familiar, although I would be lost without Shinri-san, Yani and Natalia to guide me. The blazing sunshine makes the water we supply even more essential and it is particularly rewarding to see a dusty corner return to life, such as the site of the recent car accident. Hopefully we won’t see any more of those!As we go around the city it is impossible to ignore the preparations for the festival and the sense of excitement is infectious. Right now, I cannot imagine the one million visitors we will be welcoming and I know being involved will be both a privilege and a real highlight of my time here.We have also been watching the teams practice, setting a very high standard for us to imitate as part of the international group joining the main parade on Sunday. What an honour! This also means we will soon be joined by another Workcamp, which will include two friends from the orientation weekend which seems so distant now. It was sad to bid farewell to the other group, although they truly inspired me with their enthusiasm and dedication to mastering the Japanese language. My own attempts to improve have begun with three lesson at Topia. These classes have definitely stretched me, but my desire to communicate to the wonderful people around me is providing good motivation.To me, this is also about learning more than just the language. There is an entire culture to fathom out and I am extremely grateful to my patient guides. Food is an endless voyage of discovery, not just because of all the new things I am trying, but I have quickly realised that our regular breakfast stop is the social hub of our little corner of Tokushima and I love meeting familiar faces there most mornings.

My taste buds have been left in no doubt about the quality of Japanese produce as our talented cooks create masterpieces that are breathtaking in both presentation and simplicity. I think I will be on a constant mission in the UK to try and recreate my favourites. Cooking itself is also great fun for me, whether it is watching experts at work, or frantically learning etiquette from the locals around me. I just hope I don’t offend any of them with my frequent errors!

So, it is soon to be all hands to the deck for the festival ... and we can’t wait for the fun and games to begin.Follow the rest of the adventures of Keira, our MTV volunteer in Japan, through her blog:http://bizandaigaku.jugem.jp/?cid=10

Signing
up to NCS was an easy decision. Having the reps talk to us in our school
assembly I knew instantly that NCS was something I wanted to be involved
in.

I
spent the first week in Devon getting to know my team while partaking in many
different challenging outdoor activities.Week
two brought us to Brighton university spending the time living together as a
group and continuing to learn a range of unique and interesting skills.

Weeks
three and four our groups worked on different community projects. Our group
chose to concentrate on raising awareness for autism, supporting Resources for
Autism.

Overall
I felt that meeting new people was the best part of NCS. I have had a brilliant
time and made some lifelong friends. It has helped me with my confidence and I
have learnt many new skills.

Welcome to Concordia's blog

We have hundreds of articles written by volunteers about their experiences volunteers overseas and in the UK. You can read about voluntary projects in countries such as Mongolia, Serbia, France to even Lapland.

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About Concordia

Concordia is a charity committed to international volunteering as a means to promoting intercultural understanding and peace.

Our International Volunteer Programme offers volunteers aged 18+ the opportunity to join international teams of volunteers working on short-term projects in over 60 countries in Europe, North America, Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Asia. A selection of projects is available for teenagers aged 16 and 17. Types of international volunteer projects include conservation, restoration, archaeology, construction, arts, children’s play-schemes and teaching.

Projects last for 2-4 weeks with the main season from June to September. Volunteers pay a registration fee of £225-250 and fund their own travel and insurance.

Board and accommodation is free of charge for projects in Europe, North America, Japan and South Korea. For projects in Latin America, Asia, Middle East and Africa volunteer pay an extra on arrival fee of approx. £200 that covers food and accommodation, as well as funding the programme in the country.
www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk